It was a book my Grandmother told me I should read. I just decided to buy it on impulse really, not knowing what I was getting myself into. I opened the book and was immedeately swept into Jane Eyre's world. My mind played out all of the scenes as I read, only a truly masterful piece of work could create images so strongly right from the start. Charlotte Bronte creates a masterful work of art on the pages of this book.

When the book begins, you are taken into Jane's childhood, and given a sense of what it's like to have no love, and no hope of the future. You can actually see the pain on Jane's face. Then at Lowood, you learn with her, and grow with her. Finally, on the night she arrives at Thornfield Hall you are overcome with anticipation for Jane. What is this life going to be like? Then when Edward Rochester appears, you hate him. You can't believe that he talks to her that way. After a while though, things soften, and Miss Bronte introduces a new feeling. Love. The painting seems complete when Jane and Mr. Rochester confess their feelings, and you wonder, what could possibly be better than this? The ending,(which I won't give away)is absolutely breathtaking. I cried for a half an hour when I read it. It was at four in the morning mind you,(the book was so good I could not put it down.)

The characters in the novel are whole, they seem like real people. Charlotte Bronte uses her pen to paint a wonderful picture, one can not help but be engulfed in the color. The book has lasted almost 200 years, I see no reason why it could not last forever. If you ever want to read a classic love story that defines the power of women in literature, then Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is it. I'm 16 years old, and if a teenager can be moved to tears while reading, it must be quite a piece of literature. I walked away feeling like I had taken an amazing journey, and found a new friend in Jane Eyre.

Jane Eyre is a classic in every sense of the word. I read it when I was in seventh grade and have read again at least once a year and I'm now in 12th grade. Each time I read it, I understand it better and the love and depth of emotions of Jane and Mr. Rochester becomes so overwhelming. When I saw that 3rd and seventh graders were reading it and finding it "odd" at times, and boring perhaps, it's because of the age thing. You've got to wait a few years and read it again. Trust me, after all those idiotic teen movies, you'll develop a priceless love for Jane Eyre. The only book I've ever found that was so harshly honest and real was Gone With the Wind. And that book I really don't recommend to young readers. I've once saw a reviewer say Jane Eyre wasn't original at all and the parts that were original were bad. I can't possibly fathom how J.E. isn't original. This book is one of the few books in the world where a normal, poor, average girl finds love that usually happens to supermodel types (Dickens was a big fan of the supermodel love). Jane's life has been anything been peachy, but she has the courage and determination to make the most of everything and let bygones be bygones, and she does. If anyone deserves love like Jane and Edward's, it's the both of them. And even in books and movies of the 21st century you'll rarely see a girl as independent as Jane. For an experience never to be forgotten, read Jane Eyre.

When I first read Jane Eyre in high school, my initial reaction was one of ennui. I thought the book was a little slow with a heroine in serious need of some self-esteem lessons. However, after I finished it, I found myself wanting to read it again, and again, and again! Now, I am thoroughly addicted. I probably read the book at least once a year. After the second reading, the reader learns to appreciate the beautiful language and wonderful plot devises that make for a ripping good story. I now understand Jane and Rochester in accordance with their societal upbringings and their ability to overcome the social barriers between them. Jane is a strong and gentle heroine, unlike our blow-'em-up heroines of the 90's. I recommend this book to anyone who realizes that you don't have to be rude and aggresive to be a strong person. One more comment. My only qualm with this book is the aggrivating character of St. John Rivers. No matter how many times I read Jane Eyre, I can't bring myself to like his puritan presence. Oh, well, I guess its too late to mention the criticism to Charlotte!

No, this is not an 'action-packed' novel to astound readers, but it offers an intelligent look at the strength and vision of a pioneer women and the friendship of two, culturally and socially opposites. The characters in the novel are described in great detail; their personalities were fashioned such a way that the reader receives a true sense of each character. The book was published at a time when women characters were expected to find happiness only in love or marriage. 'My Antonia' gives us a forceful heroine who is independent and strong of mind and body. The use of plot, characters, setting, and perspective open readers eyes to a period in time that most people today can't imagine. The novel invites readers to feel the pain, hardships, joy, and satisfaction of the frontier characters. In 'My Antonia,' Cather successfully develops believable characters and an intriguing story of prairie life. While your reading this novel, look for the theme of friendship. This significant theme can bring your comprehension a little deeper. Willa Cather develops the friendship beautifully throughout the book. Jim and Antonia symbolize what every friendship should include. I believe my thoughts about the book are changed when Jim Burden returns and finally reveals the hidden emotions that he had for Antonia. I had to read this book for English class and ended up enjoying it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great book that isn't hard to understand. As an English student, I was sick of reading difficult books. My Antonia can be enjoyed on many levels.

The words "historical fiction" may inflict the same agony as "pop quiz" or "speeding ticket" to many teenagers, but reading My Antonia is quite painless.

Title character Antonia Shimerda is introduced to the reader and the narrator when she can say only one phrase of English: "We go Black Hawk, Nebraska." On a seemingly endless train ride across a young United States, Bohemian immigrant Antonia and her family meet recently orphaned Virginia-born Jim Burden for the first time. He tells the story of the Shimerdas and his friend Antonia now as a middle aged man, illustrating his respect for the prairie and the woman who embodies it.

My Antonia is a story for the most part told about the youthful years of a select group of opinionated, hardworking, and brave souls. It is unique, and an especially intriguing read for teens, because the novel is told as a bittersweet memory from an old man. The story might make a reader realize that you may actually look back fondly on some of those pop tests or speeding tickets. "The best days, " quotes Cather on the beginning page, "are the first to flee."

So many books have fairy tale endings these days, and while a fairy tale is fun to read, it is also good to read about real life. For those of you searching for reality, you will definately find it in My Antonia. It is a book with a heart; a heart that aches, and wants, and hopes, just like any other heart. This is a book without sappiness, but not without sweetness.

My Antonia defies the outline of most novels in that its two main characters are a man and a woman who do not fall in love. It's so refreshing to hear truth in a time when everything has a sugarcoating. This book shows that it is ok to write about life and heartache. Yet while giving us a look at hard life, Willa Cather still manages to portray the benefits of hard work and strong love.

When I finished this book, I realized how many lessons I had learned about life. For instance, life may be difficult, but it's the good times that make us stronger. I realized also that, because the pace of the book is not fast or furious, it allows the reader to sit back and reflect on what the author is trying to express. I believe that Cather did an excellant job of portraying the meaning of this story. She has shown that a pure heart may often be broken, but it will always find a way to be content.

I've done extensive reasherch on The Life, as well as the comon veiws, of Cleopatra VII. Out of all of the books I have read, this has to be the worst. Do not let the sub-title "dreams and distortions" distract you. This book looks at Cleopatra as her enemies veiwed her, as a witch and a whore. I would not recomend this book for anyone who is truly interested in the life of the great Cleopatra VII. Don't waiste you time and money on this poor excuse for a biography. I would, though, like to recomend a historical novel, on Cleopatra by Margret George. Although it is technicly non fiction, it is extreemly historicly acurate as well as I great book to read.

~* Mikisha Anne ...

The author does an excellent job of laying out all the various portrayals of Cleopatra, both historical and literary, and relating them to women's status in society at the time.
The book is filled with clear examples of the author's points, and her theories are backed up with documentation.
Cleopatra comes across as a very human "character" whose actions can be interpretted in many ways, depending on who is telling the story.
Lucy Hughes Hallett gives the reader several "historical" Clepatras, ranging from a "Nile vamp" to a romantic heroine dying for love. The author stresses the point that various periods in history have used the Cleopatra legend for different purposes, everything from instilling national pride to selling shampoo.
The book in no way presents a one-sided version of the queen's story. If anything the reader is presented wth an array of contradictory elements and allowed to pick and choose the ones he wants to incorporate into his own version of Cleopatra.
I found the book well written, intelligent and thought provoking.

I beg to differ with the previous reviewer. Hughes-Hallett's Cleopatra is a fascinating--and sociologically astute--work. Hughes-Hallett is looking at Cleopatra's image as it has been created and recreated through the ages. She begins with a review of Cleopatra's story through the eyes of her Roman enemies (specifically Octavius--later Caesar Augustus) and explains how Octavius' "propaganda machine" used certain images and concepts to discredit Cleopatra. Like all propaganda, the images tell us more about Octavius and the world he lived in than about Cleopatra.

Likewise, when, in the next chapter, Hughes-Hallett describes the images Cleopatra used to promote herself, we learn more about the religion and society surrounding Cleopatra than any specific biographical information.

The book moves on through history: Cleopatra in Shakespeare, for instance. It is not a biography, and Hughes-Hallett makes it quite clear that it is not meant to be a biography. What we know about Cleopatra is very little. Instead Hughes-Hallett's book explores what Cleopatra has meant to the different ages in which her myth and story have been told. Like many famous women throughout history, she has been both villified and romanticized.

I would rank Hughes-Hallett's book with Marina Warner's From the Beast to the Blond (although it is not as erudite) for its exploration of story and history and how the two mix together.